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Swimming and Diving Parents
· Thou shalt not impose your ambitions on thy child.
· Thou shalt be supportive no matter what.
· Thou shalt not coach your child.
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Do not undermine the coach by trying to coach your
child on the side. Your job is to support, love and hug your child no
matter what. The coach is responsible for the technical part of the job.
You should not offer advice on technique or race strategy. This will only
serve to confuse your child and prevent that swimmer/coach bond forming.
Have your child ask the coach if they have questions.
· Thou shalt only have positive things to say at a
meet.
· Thou shalt acknowledge thy child's fears.
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A first time in competition or the first time doing an
new dive or an event can be stressful situation. It s totally appropriate
for your child to be scared. Don't yell or belittle, just assure the child
that the coach would not have suggested the event or dive if they were not
ready to compete in it.
· Thou shalt not criticize the officials.
· Honor thy child's coach.
· Thou shalt not jump form team to team.
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The water is not necessarily bluer at the other team's
pool. every team has its own internal problems, even teams that build
champions. Often times swimmers and divers who do switch teams never do
better than they did before they sought the bluer water. The improvement
they do show is natural progression of their growth and maturity in the
sport.
· Thy child shalt have goals besides winning.
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Giving an honest effort regardless of what the outcome
is, is much more important than winning. One Olympian said, "My goal was to
set a world record. Well, I did that, but someone else did it too, just a
little faster than I did. I achieved my goal and I lost. This does not
make me a failure, in fact, I am very proud of that swim."
· Thou shalt not expect my child to become an Olympian.
There are 225,000 athletes in
United States Swimming alone. There are only 52 spots available for the Olympic
team every four years. Your child's odds of becoming an Olympian are 1 in about
4,300. The odds of a diver are even tougher. Swimming and diving are much more
than just the Olympics. Ask a coach why he or she coaches. Chances are, he or
she was not an Olympian, but still is good enough out of swimming and diving
that he wants to pass that love for the sport on to others. Swimming and diving
teaches self discipline and sportsmanship; it builds self esteem and fitness; it
provides lifelong friendship and much more. Most Olympians will tell you that
these intangibles far outweigh an medal they have won. Swimming and diving
program build good people, and you should be happy your child want to
participate.
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